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. 2013 Jul;122(1):72-78.
doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e318297be8d.

Alcohol use disorders and hospital-acquired infections in women undergoing cesarean delivery

Marjolein de Wit  1 , Aaron Goldberg, David Chelmow
Affiliations

Alcohol use disorders and hospital-acquired infections in women undergoing cesarean delivery

Marjolein de Wit et al. Obstet Gynecol. 2013 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the risk of hospital-acquired infection in women with alcohol use disorders undergoing cesarean delivery.

Methods: Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of women undergoing cesarean delivery from 2002 to 2010. Women with a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder were compared with women without alcohol use disorders. Hospital-acquired infections include surgical site infection, endometritis, urinary tract infection, sepsis, and pneumonia.

Results: A total of 12,081 women with alcohol use disorders were identified and matched with 11,960 women without alcohol use disorders. Women with alcohol use disorders were more likely to have development of urinary tract infection and sepsis. By multivariable analyses, women with alcohol use disorders had higher odds of hospital-acquired infections (odds ratio 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9-2.7; P=2×10; 397 among those with alcohol use disorders and 179 among those without alcohol use disorders; number needed to harm 55). Length of stay was longer in women with alcohol use disorders, but this was unexplained by hospital-acquired infection (3.3 days; 95% CI 3.2-3.3 compared with 3.1 days; 95% CI 3.0-3.1; P=4×10).

Conclusion: Women with alcohol use disorders undergoing cesarean delivery have increased risk of hospital-acquired infections. Interventions aimed at decreasing alcohol use disorders during pregnancy may reduce maternal and fetal complications.

Level of evidence: II.

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